New Delhi: Public Works Department (PWD) on Friday told the Delhi High Court that it has initiated steps to improve the geometry at the Nelson Mandela marg intersection at Munirka to ensure smooth traffic during building of a three-lane flyover parallel to the one existing at Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Marg on the Outer Ring Road here.
"With regard to decongestion of alternative route to airport, PWD held a meeting under the chairmanship of Lt. Governor on November 25. It has started work to improve the geometrics at the Nelson Mandela Marg intersection at Munirka to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
"The Delhi traffic police have assured PWD that no roadside parking of vehicles would be allowed on the slip road below the Munirka flyover in front of the Munirka market and the Nelson Mandela Marg-ORR intersection throughout the period of construction of PWD flyover," an affidavit submitted before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul said.
PWD also said it has started work to widen the Mehrauli-Mahilpalpur road from the Nelson Mandela Marg intersection to the DDA bypass Northern bypass intersection.
It contends the tenders of the main work of construction of elevated corridor from Munirka to NH-8 and underpass on BJ marg-Ring road junction has been accepted and awarded to Hindustan Construction Company.
"The contractors are preparing a detailed plan and mobilising their resources. Hence, the work on the ground is unlikely to start before two months. Permission to cut trees in the right of way/alignment is awaited from the tree officer of Department of Forest, GNCTD.
"In effect, diversion of traffic would not be required before two months when work actually starts on the ground. It is reiterated that flow of traffic would not be stopped on the Outer Ring road during the period of construction. Local traffic diversion plans have already been submitted to the Delhi Traffic Police...," the affidavit said.
On October 28, the court had said "the alternative
measures discussed for de-congesting the traffic to and from the airport, particularly, at the T-junction joining Nelson Mandela Marg and the Outer Ring Road as also the entry point after Ryan International School from Mehrauli Mahipalpur Road to the DDA road shall be made operational within two weeks.
"A report be also given with regard to the use of the DDA road connecting the Mehrauli Mahipalpur Road with NH-8".
It had said the authorities shall make an endeavour to make operational every route they intend to use during diversion of traffic.
It had asked the authorities to decongest the two junctions after PWD gave a power-point presentation on how they intend to divert the traffic during building of the three-lane flyover parallel to the one existing at RTR Marg on the Outer Ring Road here.
The court was hearing a plea by residents' welfare associations of Vasant Vihar challenging PWD's decision to build a three-lane flyover.
The petitioner associations raised the objections after studying the project report submitted by PWD.
Vasant Vihar residents associations have sought that a six-lane flyover be built in the same location by demolishing the existing one while PWD plans to build a three-lane elevated road from Munirka to Signals Enclave, which will also run parallel to the RTR Marg flyover.
